Museum of Flight at Boeing Field

[Trebor]

hey guys, I went to the Museum of flight at Boeing Field, yesterday and had a blast, and I'm writing a letter to MOF about a serious concern I have about it. tell me what you think?

Hello,

My name is (name blank for this forum). i had contacted you earlier about the Lockheed Constellation that you're restoring, but I'm contacting you about something different:

I was just at your museum on Saturday, March 6, 2010; and I loved it. I had such a great time. the only thing I did not like was those 5 graceful aircraft just sitting in the airpark under the blazing sun. as I got closer to them, I could see how much dirt and grime was on the aircraft.

the concorde had grime running down the seams from the cockpit windows, and the cabin windows. and I also saw the paint start to fade.

the Boeing 727-200 in the American Airlines livery, N874AA, that was the worst in my eyes. the airline name on the fuselage was severely faded and almost barely recognizable, the stripes running on the fuselage from bow to stern are also fading pretty badly.

the 737-100, N515NA wasn't too bad, but the anti-glare shield is looking very frayed .

the 747-100 (city of Everett) also needs a lot of work since it's very dirty and the paint is also fading under the sunlight.

and finally, as for the VC-137B Air Force One, it's not looking too bad, it seems to recieve the most attention, considering several US Presidents once flew in it. but it also needs some shade.

are you planning on building a fundraiser for a hangar extension for these proud aircraft and restoration? if so, I'd like to contribute, and if possible, spread the word.

 

[Matt308]

Sounds just fine. Just so you know, the museum is vying for a Shuttle and is spending $18Million on an expansion in hopes that will help qualify them for a Shuttle exhibit. Not sure if that buys enough room to house all the large airplanes in the airpark. I rather doubt it. You went to the Boeing Museum, but didn't mosey up to Everett to take a look at the WWII birds? Easily just as impressive, though not as many exhibits. But they all fly.

 

[Trebor]

Sounds just fine. Just so you know, the museum is vying for a Shuttle and is spending $18Million on an expansion in hopes that will help qualify them for a Shuttle exhibit. Not sure if that buys enough room to house all the large airplanes in the airpark. I rather doubt it. You went to the Boeing Museum, but didn't mosey up to Everett to take a look at the WWII birds? Easily just as impressive, though not as many exhibits. But they all fly.

haha, I spent the whole day at KBFI. didn't have time to hit KPAE. but I will someday!

 

[Matt308]

It's expensive for the few exhibits, but worth it. But only once in your life will you see a complete Me-163 Comet.

 

[Trebor]

haha, I shall visit that when I have the opportunity.

and I got a response:

--------------------Robert,
Yes indeed, you have hit the nail right on the head. It distresses all of us to have these aircraft outdoors in our somewhat hostile environment. As fate would have it, you viewed these aircraft just before our wash schedule is to resume. We have instigated a program of cleaning and corrosion control for the period of March through October of each year. While the Concorde will clean up nicely, the streaks will reappear after just a few rain showers. We do not have the staff or funding for a full time crew to do nothing but wash our outdoor aircraft, and I'm afraid that shows.

Yes, we are planning a major fundraising campaign that will result in a structure that will cover the entire Airpark, with a Space Gallery (hopefully with a shuttle), at the south end and to be capped off in the north end by the Aviation High School. So, it is a constant battle and a race against time.

Should you be interested in contributing to the care of these aircraft, or have ideas that might help our fundraising efforts, please contact Craig Howard, [email protected] or Mike Lavelle, [email protected] in our Development Department. Should you like to volunteer to assist with the preservation of these historic aircraft, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Ms. Carol Thomson, [email protected].

That you for your observations Robert. We will be starting our wash program again this month.

Regards,
Tom Cathcart
Director of Aircraft Collection
Museum of Flight--------------